Man stabs externee's kin when they confront him for squealing

After he informed the police that an externed criminal had returned to Vakola, the latter's angry family went to his house with sticks; he said he attacked them in self-defence

A man in Vakola has been arrested for stabbing family members of an externed criminal, after they went to his house, allegedly armed with sticks, demanding to know why he had told the cops about the criminal’s return to the area.

The accused man stabbed the externee’s mother and his two brothers, one of whom has been critically injured. Later, for treating his own wounds, he went to the same hospital where cops had taken the injured family members, and was arrested. At the time of going to press, Vakola police were recording the FIR.

According to police officials, Chandan Kurmi - who has several criminal cases of robbery, housebreaking and theft lodged against him - was externed from Vakola a few months ago. On Saturday evening, Kurmi came back to Vakola and started bossing people around. When a police official got a tip-off that the externee was back in the area, a team was dispatched to find him, but they could not locate him.

Kurmi suspected that a couple, Pravin Adsule and wife Ashvini, had informed the cops about him. Later in the night, he went to their house, smashed all the windowpanes and verbally abused them. The frightened couple did not open their door. Ashvini told mid-day, “We were very scared. Chandan is a very dangerous criminal. Late at night, we went to the police station and registered a case against him.”

Back behind bars Early morning on Sunday, the police managed to arrest Kurmi. When his family heard, they were infuriated. At 3 pm, his mother Manju and brothers Manoj and Kallu went to Adsule’s house. They were carrying sticks and started abusing the couple who, again, kept their doors locked. The trio started banging on the door and threatening the couple, officials said.

Agitated, Adsule came out of his house with a chopper and started stabbing the three. While Manoj and Manju sustained deep cuts on the head, Kallu got serious injuries to his head, chest and hand. Adsule then escaped.

After the police were informed, they reached the spot and took the three injured to V N Desai Hospital. Kallu, though, had to be transferred to Nair hospital as his condition had deteriorated. At 5 the same evening, Adsule went to the same hospital for treatment of his own wounds, and the injured identified him. He was nabbed at the hospital itself.

A police officer said, “We have arrested Pravin Adsule for attempt to murder. We are still taking statements of the accused and the injured. Adsule said he feared that Kurmi’s family members would kill him and his wife as they had come armed with sticks and a knife. He said he attacked the trio in self-defence. We are investigating the case and, meanwhile, will extern Kurmi again.”